Did Bryan Kohberger Stalk the Victims? Shocking Details Revealed in Court
The Emergency Hearing and Allegations
Bryan Kohberger did not stalk the four University of Idaho students found murdered in their home off campus, according to lawyers for both the prosecution and the defense. Those lawyers and Kohberger were in court last week for an emergency hearing after the prosecution filed a motion arguing that a survey of potential jurors being conducted by the defense violated the nondissemination order in the case.
The Allegations and Charges Against Kohberger
In that survey of Latah County residents, respondents were asked a series of questions, including whether or not they believed Kohberger had stalked four individuals found dead in that home back in November 2022 – Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20. Kohberger is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and could face the death penalty if found guilty of those charges. He has plead not guilty to all charges.
The Controversy Surrounding the Survey
Individuals who answered “yes,” when asked about Kohberger stalking the victims, were then informed that there was no evidence to support this claim, according to prosecutor Bill Thompson. Both Thompson and the defense agreed on this point and said as much during the proceedings. Lawyers also said on Thursday that Kohbberger did not follow any of the four victims on social media and no evidence existed to support claims that he surveilled their off-campus home in Moscow.
The Defense’s Attempt to Clear Kohberger’s Name
The defense said claims that Kohberger surveilled the home came not from media sources but from inaccurate details included in the probable cause affidavit. While lawyers for both sides may have agreed on these facts, that did not stop the hearing from turning contentious at times as Kohberger‘s public defender, Anne Taylor, and Thompson made their arguments in front of the judge.
The Judge’s Ruling and Next Steps
The defense hopes to conduct the same survey in neighboring counties but the judge filed an emergency order late last month prohibiting any contact with potential jurors after the prosecution filed its initial motion objecting to the defense’s tactics. Taking the stand to testify during last week’s hearing was the jury consultant hired by Taylor and the defense in the case to conduct the survey, Bryan Edelman. The defense is conducting these surveys to determine if a non-biased jury pool exists in the county given the coverage and attention the case has received over the past 18 months. If the judge allows them to continue, they next plan to survey two neighboring counties in the state.
The National Spotlight and Public Perception
Various media outlets reported that Kohberger stalked one or more of the victims in the weeks after his arrest back in January 2023, each citing unnamed sources. Inside Edition Digital could not confirm that Kohberger stalked any of the four victims or find evidence that he followed any of the four on social media. The case has been in the national spotlight since Nov. 13, 2022, when the four students were massacred at their home in the middle of the night. Authorities arrested Kohberger two months later at his parents’ home in rural Pennsylvania.
Court Proceedings and Lasting Impact
Soon after his arrest, a judge signed a non-dissemination order in the case, barring any member of law enforcement or lawyer involved in the case from speaking to the media. Judge John Judge said he plans to issue a ruling soon on the matter and pushed back a hearing on whether or not a change of venue will be needed for the trial. The defense is hoping this survey will convince the judge that Kohberger cannot get a fair trial in the county. At the same time, a new deadline looms in the case this week for the defense team as they are required to submit the alibi Kohbegrer plans to argue at trial by Wednesday.